Packages #

“Packages” is a central feature that is further divided into three specific tabs, each serving a unique function:

All Packages: #

• This tab provides a holistic view of every package that has been uploaded to your Azure Artifacts Library.
• Each listed package displays the number of its versions and highlights the most recent version.
• It’s important to be aware that there might be a slight delay between when a package (or a new version of it) is pushed to the Artifacts Library and when it becomes visible in the frontend.
• For a deep dive into any package’s details, you can click on the arrows adjacent to the package name. This action will expand the entry, revealing a more detailed view of the package’s specifics.

Build Package: #

• This section is dedicated to the creation of new packages.
• If you’ve previously created a package using the Package Builder, it’s not set in stone. You can always return to it for modifications. The “Edit” button in the “All Packages” tab facilitates this, allowing you to keep your packages updated as needed.

Application Gallery: #

• The Application Gallery showcases a collection of pre-packaged applications, diligently managed and continuously maintained to provide an effortless software experience for users like you.
• When you subscribe to an application, not only do you add it to your Artifacts Library, but Nimble also takes the responsibility of ensuring the latest versions of that package are automatically made available within your tenant. This guarantees you always have access to the most recent and optimized version of the software.
• Moreover, once subscribed to, each application is primed for easy deployment across all your devices using NimDeploy.

Package Details view #

On top of the view, we have 2 switches:

• Detached Install: When this switch is active, the package will be installed separately from the NimDeploy Service. This is currently only required for the nimdeploy_service package, which updates itself.
• Reboot required: activate this switch if you want to reboot the device after installing or updating the package during a deployment. The deployment will continue after the reboot.

Each package can encompass multiple versions, with each new version distinctly displayed in this section.

Upon accessing the detailed view, the initial information presented pertains to the versions.
These versions come tagged with specific lifecycle statuses:

• Testing
• Acceptance
• Production

These statuses, combined with the lifecycle tags assigned to endpoints, dictate the version of the application an endpoint will receive via NimDeploy.

By default, new versions of a package are automatically classified under the “Testing” status. However, with the intuitive dropdown selector, transitioning between different lifecycle statuses becomes a breeze. This allows for precise management of a version’s lifecycle within a package. If you’re looking to streamline this process across your entire package library, the subsequent chapter delves into the efficient management of lifecycles using a dedicated wizard.

Package usage #

To monitor which devices utilize the selected package, navigate to the “Endpoints” tab. This view not only showcases all the endpoints to which the chosen package is assigned but also provides crucial insights into the package’s status on each device. It clearly indicates whether the package is current or awaiting updates. Such clarity enables you to swiftly identify and manage devices with pending updates, ensuring they remain in sync with the latest software enhancements. After all, ensuring devices are consistently up-to-date is the primary objective of NimDeploy.

The Blueprints view shows all the blueprint the package is assigned to.

Enabling / Disabling packages #

Packages are by default enabled. If you want to disable a package, mark the checkboxes of the packages you wish to disable and click the red button at the top which says “Disable package” when hovering over it.

Package Lifecycle #

To manage the lifecyle of all the packages, click on the Package Lifecycle button.

This page gives a clear view in which lifecycle the different versions of the applications are that are managed by NimDeploy. It also functions to change the lifecycle of a version.

There are 2 ways to change the lifecycle of an application in this view:

• Drag & Drop the version into the new lifecycle.

• Use the buttons to move a single or all versions to the next lifecycle stage.

Build Package #

The Package Builder in NimDeploy is designed for creating new software packages and updating existing ones. To modify a previously created package, navigate to the desired package version and click the “Edit” button. This tool ensures your software is current and meets specific requirements.

It’s also equipped to generate new package versions when there are updated installer files from the software developer. It’s important to note that the package library doesn’t allow direct modifications to existing packages. Instead, any updates or changes will result in the creation of a new version.
Below we’ll inform you about the requirements in the process of creating a new version or a new package:

General Information #

File Management #

In this tab, all the required files that are needed for the installation of the application need to be added. This could be EXE-files, MSI installers, ZIP-files, folders, …

Sequence Builder #

The sequence builder consists of many different helper functions which can be used to create the code behind the package without having to write or needing the knowledge of Powershell code.